Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

The study is aimed at comparing the differential effects of two widely used standardized meditation programs: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) in general population samples. To address this goal, the effects will be measured by self-report questionnaires belonging to different domains (mindfulness, compassion, well-being, psychological distress, and psychological functioning) as well as information processing measures (i.e., Attentional Blink), and psychophysiological measures (EEG and EKG). Changes will be assessed immediately after finishing the 8-week programs and through several inter-session assessments. Data analysis will include the mean change scores differences, as well as novel network analysis procedures to assess topological reorganization of constructs derived from the programs.


Clinical Trial Description

The study has a twofold goal. Firstly, it will address whether the practice of different standardized meditation programs (MBSR and CCT) modify the distribution of limited attentional resources towards emotional information, measured by the performance in a variant of the Emotional Attentional Blink. Secondly, novel procedures of Network analysis will be used to examine whether the practice of different standardized meditation programs (mindfulness and compassion) impact on the network dynamics between mindfulness, compassion, well-being, psychological distress, and emotional and cognitive control constructs and how these constructs are eventually reorganized after the interventions. There are two main corresponding hypotheses. First, meditation practice in general (both mindfulness and compassion) will change the attentional processing of emotional information, reflected by a significant reduction of the attentional blink deficit after the programs as compared to the performance of participants in matched Control group. Differences between both intervention groups will be analyzed. The second hypothesis states that, after meditation programs, the networks of these constructs will become topologically reorganized; more specifically, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and well-being constructs are expected to increase their centrality in the resulting network. Procedure The study will follow a pre-post design where participants will be blind to the aims of the study. Participants will be invited to participate at the moment they register in the official website offering the MBSR and CCT programs. After being recruited, those who accept to participate will fill out a brief online screening questionnaire on demographics and inclusion criteria and will sign an informed consent. Then participants will complete an online set of questionnaires (via Qualtrics software) of selected psychological domains associated to the main outcomes and variables studied in meditation literature (i.e., mindfulness, compassion, well-being, psychological distress, and emotional and cognitive control constructs). The online assessment will be completed the week before starting the program (baseline assessment) and during the week after the end of the MBSR (post-assessment). When necessary, reminders will be scheduled for those participants who have not completed the questionnaires. Each pre and post online evaluation will last approximately 45 minutes. Participants are invited to attend a one-hour experimental session (i.e. Attentional Blink task) within the week before starting the meditation program. After completing a second informed consent, participants will fill out a set of questionnaires with mood (EEE), mindfulness (SM) and compassion (S_SC) state measure. Participants then will begin the Emotional Attentional Blink task divided into three blocks with a 1-minute break between the blocks. At the end of the task, participants will complete the "state measures" again and the session will end. After this lab session, participants will attend one of the two 8-week standardized meditation programs (MBSR or CCT). Finally, the same procedure will be followed for the post-experimental session within the week after the end of the programs. Each pre-post experimental session will last approximately one hour. After completing the post-treatment assessments, participants will be debriefed and will receive an individualized report of their questionnaires scores and the purposes of the study. Programs description The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week standardized program consisted of 2.5-hours of face-to-face weekly sessions, and 45 minutes of daily home formal and informal practices. Training will be conducted in groups of 20-30 participants. During the program, different mindfulness practices are performed, including focused attention on the breath, open monitoring of awareness in body-scanning, prosocial meditation (i.e. loving kindness and compassion) and gentle yoga. The Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) is also an 8-week standardized program consisting of 2.5-hours of face-to-face weekly sessions and 30 minutes of daily home formal and informal practices. Training will be conducted in groups of 20-30 participants. The CCT consists of six sequential steps: 1) Settling the mind and learn how to focus it; 2) Loving-kindness and compassion for a loved one practice; 3) Loving-kindness and compassion for oneself practice; 4) compassion toward others, embracing shared common humanity and developing appreciation of others; 5) compassion toward others including all beings; and 6) active compassion practices (Tonglen) which involve explicit evocation of the altruistic wish to do something about others' suffering. Finally, participants learn an integrative compassion practice combining the six essential elements into an integrative compassion meditation practice. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT03920241
Study type Observational
Source Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Contact
Status Completed
Phase
Start date May 1, 2017
Completion date December 15, 2020

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Recruiting NCT04680611 - Severe Asthma, MepolizumaB and Affect: SAMBA Study
Completed NCT05130944 - Feasibility of Community Psychosocial Intervention for Women N/A
Recruiting NCT05526235 - A Scalable Psychological Intervention to Reduce Psychological Distress Among Workers of Assisted Living Facilities N/A
Recruiting NCT05413941 - Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease N/A
Completed NCT03720600 - Forms of Racial Discrimination Study N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05400096 - Psychological Wellbeing in Clients in Tier 3 Weight Management Service N/A
Completed NCT02212236 - Psychological Intervention for Distress During HSCT Phase 2
Active, not recruiting NCT00892138 - Mindfulness Training for Stress Management N/A
Recruiting NCT04815278 - NC Works4Health: Reducing Chronic Disease Risks in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Unemployed Populations N/A
Recruiting NCT04936828 - Ecological Momentary Intervention for Stroke Caregivers' Psychological Support N/A
Withdrawn NCT03341364 - Acceptance and Commitment Based Group Therapy for Cancer Patients N/A
Recruiting NCT05137925 - Mindful Moms: Mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy During Pregnancy and Postpartum N/A
Completed NCT04376723 - Mental Health Apps for Mild Psychological Distress Amongst Adolescents N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT04020497 - Ensemble Programme an Early Intervention for Informal Caregivers of Psychiatric Patients N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT03652168 - Stress Free UC Merced: The Effect of 8 Weeks of Mindfulness App Headspace on Stress in a Sample of University Employees Phase 3
Terminated NCT03587896 - Implementation of Self Help Plus in Adult Syrian Refugees in Turkey (RE-DEFINE) N/A
Completed NCT03721770 - Psychological Impact in a Relative, Following the Announcement of the Death of a Loved One After Cardiac Arrest and the Early Request for Organ Donation
Recruiting NCT05849454 - Messy Memories: Mobile Application Therapy Following Critical Illness N/A
Recruiting NCT05525299 - Reminiscence-Based Life Review on Copying With Existential Suffering Among Older Cancer Survivors N/A
Recruiting NCT06052904 - Music Breathing for Caregivers of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer N/A